Comments on: A Good Eye or a Bad Eye? A Cryptic but Critical Idiom

By: Lois Tverberg

Lois Tverberg — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 20:36:43 +0000

In reply to marc d. Marc, I appreciate your pointing out what sounds like an error in the blog post above. It's an excerpt from my book where in the endnotes I go into quite a bit of discussion about the Greek word haplous. I actually wrote another article that does indeed talk about the word "haplous" in Greek. You can read it here: Jesus' Strange Teaching about the Single Eye.

By: marc d

marc d — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:09:00 +0000

ignore my previous comment (under consideration). considering Jesus gave the sermon likely in aramaic, I acquiesce it could’ve been as simple as comparing good and bad, and matthew just felt haplous (singlular) was the best way to translate the meaning of it

By: Marc D

Marc D — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 03:01:55 +0000

I’m sorry but a hard no way on this exposition.. he uses the greek haplous here.. it doesn’t mean good at all.. if Jesus wanted to simply say good eye, or healthy eye (the translation you chose), he would have, and would not have used “haplous”.. for “single”.. appreciate you attempting to offer help in understanding the scripture.. but for others who may come to the page.. just a surface level rendering of the greek disagrees completely/starkly with your explanation in the first paragraph of what Jesus was saying here..No disrespect intended.. but frankly this is just the same “cop out” many translators chose.. which in all reality doesn’t make any sense with the verbiage.. Of course there’s the offchance that it was as simple as Jesus meaning to say “good” or “healthy”, and Matthew making a mistake.. but for Matthew to use “haplous” here seems almost 100% not a mistake.. as its clearly not a common, nor sensible word, thus very intentional.. and very intentionally not as simple as “good” or “healthy”..

By: Lois Tverberg

Lois Tverberg — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:58:19 +0000

In reply to James A. Thomas. I fixed it.

By: James A. Thomas

James A. Thomas — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:52:24 +0000

In reply to Patrick. Yes, thanks Patrick. This typo still needs correcting.

By: Richard Gay

Richard Gay — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 23:27:49 +0000

Thank you Lois for a well-written and helpful explanation. Last evening in our home group we looked at Mark7: 15-23, dealing with the defilement that comes out of a “(bad) heart”, and noted that at verse 22 the KJV refers to “an evil eye”, which I suspect is a somewhat sloppy translation of “a bad eye”, which Jesus discussed at Mt 6:22-24. Interestingly the NIV is still further from the mark, when it translates the term as “envy”. Thank you for helping us to see that.

By: Alvine HAANTOBOLO

Alvine HAANTOBOLO — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:49:14 +0000

Great lesson here

By: TAMADU Adugba

TAMADU Adugba — Tue, 22 Mar 2022 07:48:54 +0000

I’m Tamadu Adugba, a fervent believer of Christ from Nigeria. I’m grateful to have this message preached by you.

By: Ayin Raah

Ayin Raah — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 21:32:59 +0000

Raah, is not the same as Ra’Ha. “Jehovah Raah” – the Lord our Shepherd

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 16:59:34 +0000

Thank you for this confirmation. The first Proverbs reference is incorrect, I think you meant to say 22:9

By: Crystal Martin

Crystal Martin — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 15:28:19 +0000

YHWH bless and keep you! I found this article through the YouVersion bible app devotional called “Praying for Results”. I’ve been studying some Hebrew this year and it has opened up a whole new world of understanding His word. This article only adds to it’s richness and enlightenment! Thank you! All praises to the Most High YHWH!

By: Crystal Martin

Crystal Martin — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 15:23:54 +0000

In reply to Marc Chitwood. HALLELUYAH!!